Qantas or Cathay

[peet]

Hello! First post here...

So I've been reading and mulling over and still would love some advice.

I'm taking 2-3 return Premium Economy Flights from Sydney to London each year. In addition I typically take 1 - 2 discount economy to Hong Kong or Singapore each year and 2-5 discount economy Sydney to Melbourne trips each year.

From what I can see of the airlines that offer premium economy Qantas and Cathay seem to offer the best options for my travel patterns.

So then I can choose either... But which one depends on the FF program.

Both seem to get me to Gold status in year 1 if I fly on their metal... Cathay however I would not get much in the way of credit for domestic bookings...

The benefit of Qantas seems that I can buy Qantas club on the way in to get lounge access... but generally QF has less in the way of options for flights.


So does anyone have any advice of which to choose? it will tie me to their metal for a bit too so keen to understand a view on which Y+ is better.

Thanks

Peet

 

[Mr_Orange]

I've flown both. There's not much to choose between them when it comes to the hard product. QF wins on service and food as it is more of a J- product.

CX is generally better value in Y+ than QF. Towards the end of last year, I was researching flights to LHR in Y+ for 2 adults and an infant. CX was about $8.5k and QF was over $10k.

The other thing to consider is whether you want a stop over in either/both directions and therefore whether the desert or HKG appeals to you.

 

[andye]

Not necessarily intuitive but might be worth considering BAEC (given you are heading to London frequently) if status is the aim

You would easily get OWS with those flying patterns (as long as you do 4 BA sectors) and in a busy year you wouldn't be too far from OWE (or you could stop at OWS and then credit to most lucrative program)

You would earn full Tier Points on CX and QF (as well as BA MH AY QA (and even EK without lounge access)) maximising your routing options

You can buy BA flight numbers but fly on CX at least to HKG

Upgrading using avios is not an auction

You aren't locked in to BAEC as requalifying threshholds are the same as qualifying

The recent devaluation of burn rates does takes the gloss off and you would need to source a non-Australian address

 

[andye]

Obviously much more difficult to top up BA Avios than QF/CX with CC spend etc but the above suggestion was for status rather than earn/burn

 

[bullerdude]

A mate of mine recently traveled on CX Y+ and was fairly unimpressed with the soft-product/service and also mentioned that the seats weren't as good as anticipated compared to other Y+.

I would go with Qantas if costs allow.

 

[peet]

Thank you all - feedback is appreciated - looking into the BA option too now.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Some things to keep in mind:

For the same price as Y+ you can fly business class on malayasia airlines.

If you credit the international flights to Qantas frequent flyer you will earn greatly reduced status credits when flying any other airline except for qantas#.

Basically my understanding is you will earn most of your points from long haul international economy. It may be worth crediting these to BA or even MH to get the most bang for your buck. Both of which u can earn extra point from cc in Australia.

Although another one world program may earn no points for your domestic flights in Aus - it may be far better value to take the hit on a few thousand points loss in Aus (but still retain status benefits) than to lose even more points by flying cx y and crediting to qff which would hurt even more.

If you credit all your flights to qff you will want to be flying on Qantas planes as that is where the only real value is. But this puts you in a position where you will be low on the upgrade list and you will be paying more for the flights almost every time.

 

[love_the_life]

A mate of mine recently traveled on CX Y+ and was fairly unimpressed with the soft-product/service and also mentioned that the seats weren't as good as anticipated compared to other Y+.

I would go with Qantas if costs allow.

Wed flew SIN - BKK on CX (the flight went on to HKK) and were upgraded from Y to Y+. The service was wonderful but it was much closer to a Y experience than the QF Y+. If you are looking at Y+ consistently perhaps QF offers a better product. CX J on the other hand was great when I flew HKK - SYD last year.

 

[clazman]

My preference is CX over QF in J only because every QF flight I have had the barbers chair foot rest and at 6'4 it is to short to deploy and hurts the calf muscles if not deployed.

Saying that the daughter just returned on CX in Y this week and her comments were seat comfortable, IFE excellent, but service cough and the water tasted funny

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Personally, I would go with QF.
Due to Simpler and Fairer, or Fairer and Simpler, if you are keen on getting to QF SG as I have, and QF gives you or me longer to use Gold after attaining it, would be to fly QF and use QF FF.
Using any other partner, while earning QF FF points and QF SC will see you earn less, if you fly a OW partner airline, with points going to QF.
I got QF SG in Dec 14, and will have until Oct 16 to use it. Thats over 20 months to use SG, which gives access to QF lounges round Australia and the world.
Using as an eg, my VA is from Jun to May, and they don't give me any more time to enjoy VA PS.

 

[serfty]

.
I got QF SG in Dec 14, and will have until Oct 16 to use it. Thats over 20 months to use SG, which gives access to QF lounges round Australia and the world.
Using as an eg, my VA is from Jun to May, and they don't give me any more time to enjoy VA PS.

...that's hardly relevant if the OP is already Gold.

With that travel I would be giving QFF a miss and looking at BAEC or even AAdvantage.

If your travel is planned well in advance I would be looking to avoid purchasing tickets out of Australia.

Nested bookings out of London/ Europe and/or Singapore could be significantly less expensive.

 

[wandering_fred]

Three round trips in PEY from Australia to Europe would be about 54K base miles (unless PER). Add ten percent for PEY and you essentially have the points needed for CX Gold. Keep QF to credit the E class domestic tickets.

Basing your tickets in SE Asia has the advantage of many options (as well as less $$). Many times UL in J would be a great deal less expensive than CX (or BA) in PEY/Y+. If you are feeling adventuresome, then book UL in Y and try the bids for upgrades, which if successful book into I class which earns on both CX and QF. And QF in Y into/out of Australia would be a money saver / earn toward the 4 ~ / be short enough to make Y potentially bearable.

YMMV as I'm normally found in strange places when wandering

Fred

 

[windchaser777]

Not sure if OP is aware, but Marco Polo Gold is achieved after 90k miles (30k to Silver THEN another 60k to Gold). So it may be an idea to go with QF is this isn't achievable, although CX is still reasonably generous to their lower tier members.

 

[andye]

For kanagaroo runs, AY J, UL J (SIN-CMB-LHR), MH J and BA J ex-EU (xx_-LHR-Au) are often competitive with CX/QF PE price wise.

QFF would be the least useful FF program to take advantage of these. BAEC would be easiest for status, AA best for earn/burn (currently) but no prolonged status unless you get to the US, Marco Polo would have advantages of home-carrier (eg upgrades) if the majority of flights ended up being CX but status a bit harder to achieve

 

[yohy?!]

if all your international travel will be on CX then MPC is the way to go - you will achieve Silver after 30k miles (1.1miles per mile flown in PE) which gives lounge access when travelling on CX (which would not apply on Qantas until Gold unless paying for Qantas club).

as others have said CX is often cheaper in PE than Qantas with the trade off being mainly the food and seat although to me they are not deal breakers, I have flown CX PE on ultralonghaul sectors to the US and found it fine for personal space and comfort for sleeping.

5 domestic trips in Y on Qantas are not even worth considering given the OP is mainly an international flyer if looking at total miles flown - credit them seperately to QF for the points possibly or just put them all to CX.